Sreekanth K G Interview
Q. Your bio says you’re on a mission to fix pronunciation errors in India. What inspired this mission, and how did your journey as an English pronunciation coach begin?
My mission to fix pronunciation errors in India stems from my own struggle with English. I genuinely wanted to learn the language because I loved watching movies, especially superhero films. I clearly remember watching Spider-Man and barely understanding the dialogue, even though I studied in an English-medium school. That experience made me question why this gap existed.
Over time, I realized that the pronunciation we were taught in schools was often incorrect or incomplete. After graduating, I spent a couple of years consciously correcting the pronunciation mistakes I had unknowingly picked up. That phase completely changed how I looked at English. I understood that this wasn’t just my issue-many people were taught English in a way that affected clarity and comprehension.
That realization turned into a personal mission. It was never about sounding foreign or changing accents; it was always about clarity. Correct pronunciation helps you understand native speakers better, and it helps them understand you too. That belief eventually led me to start teaching pronunciation.
Q. Through your content, you’ve helped millions improve their spoken English. Pronunciation is often overlooked in traditional English learning. Why do you think it’s such a critical skill, especially in today’s global and professional world?
Pronunciation is often ignored in traditional English learning, yet it has become a crucial skill in today’s global world. Communication is no longer limited to people within our state or country. We regularly interact with people from different nationalities-whether from the US, UK, Japan, China, or elsewhere-and English becomes the common bridge.
While forming correct sentences is important, pronouncing words accurately is just as essential. Incorrect pronunciation or misplaced syllable stress creates communication gaps. Many people say, “I just want to be understood; I don’t need pronunciation,” but that statement contradicts itself. Pronunciation is exactly what enables understanding.
Having an Indian accent is perfectly fine-accent isn’t the problem. Clarity is. If you want to grow professionally, especially in global environments, accurate pronunciation ensures your message is conveyed clearly. That’s why pronunciation truly matters.
Q. Before becoming “voice_of_sreek,” who was Sreekanth K G? Can you share a bit about your early life and what shaped your interest in language and communication?
Before becoming Voice of Sreek, I was simply an engineer who loved watching movies. That was honestly my entire personality back then. I watched English movies mainly for the action because I couldn’t understand the dialogue at all. Over time, that changed. I didn’t just want to watch movies-I wanted to understand the story, emotions, and deeper layers of the plot. I wanted to fully experience them. That curiosity naturally pushed me towards learning English.
Another major realization came after my 12th grade. Despite studying in an English-medium school for nearly 12 years, I could read and write English but couldn’t speak it confidently. That forced me to question the way English was being taught. I realized that much of what we learn in school, especially pronunciation, is either incomplete or incorrect. So I decided to unlearn and relearn English on my own. Gradually, learning turned into an obsession.
English fascinated me because it isn’t phonetic like most Indian languages-it’s a stress-timed language filled with exceptions. That complexity appealed to my curiosity and eventually pulled me deep into pronunciation.
Q. With over 1.1 million followers, you’ve built a massive learning community online. Is there a particular habit, routine, or belief that keeps you grounded while managing such a large digital Community?
One belief that keeps me grounded is seeing myself as a lifelong learner of English. No matter how confident I am about a piece of content, I always leave room for doubt. Even when I’m completely sure, I still cross-check my facts. This habit has stayed with me from the very beginning.
I review my content before posting, and even after it goes live, if someone questions it, I revisit and verify everything before responding. Humility in learning is essential, especially when you’re teaching millions. Staying open to feedback, learning continuously, and correcting yourself is what keeps me grounded while managing such a large digital community.
Q. Teaching on social media comes with its own challenges. What were some obstacles you faced while building credibility as an online pronunciation coach?
Teaching on social media comes with several challenges. Many people questioned my approach and even criticized the idea of teaching pronunciation itself. Some went as far as saying pronunciation doesn’t matter or shouldn’t be taught. But I know the work I do and the effort behind it.
I’ve learned from native English speakers and trained under some of the best pronunciation coaches, so I’m confident in what I teach. Credibility wasn’t built overnight-it was built consistently over the last two to three years by ensuring that nothing I post is factually incorrect.
I research thoroughly before publishing, and when someone questions my content, I can respond with clarity because I’ve done the groundwork. Another factor that strengthened my credibility was the support and collaboration from certified native English teachers who believe in my work. Their endorsement reinforced the authenticity and value of what I do.
Q. Your content is simple, practical, and highly engaging. How do you break down complex pronunciation rules so they’re easy for learners to understand and apply?
My approach to teaching pronunciation is focused on simplicity and practicality. I break complex concepts into small, digestible ideas that learners can immediately apply. Instead of overwhelming people with technical rules, I focus on patterns, real-life usage, and examples they already encounter in everyday conversations and media.
I believe pronunciation becomes easier when learners understand why a word sounds the way it does, rather than simply memorizing rules. That understanding helps learners apply pronunciation naturally and confidently in real-life situations.
Q. What does a typical day look like in your life now-balancing content creation, coaching, learning, and personal time?
Right now, most of my time goes into building my startup, Broken English, with the vision of making it the last English academy someone would ever need. Many learners move from one course to another without real progress because English isn’t something you can master in a month. Broken English focuses on long-term growth-giving learners the right tools and mindset so English becomes a lifelong process, not a short-term goal.
Alongside this, I actively create content. After more than five years, it has become second nature-whatever I learn naturally turns into content. I also work with a very limited number of coaching clients, including a few celebrities, due to time constraints. Work and personal life are deeply intertwined; even watching movies feels like research. There’s no strict balance, just a rhythm I genuinely enjoy.
Q. How do you see the future of English learning in India-especially with digital creators playing the role of educators?
My long-term vision with Broken English is very clear. I want to make the traditional spoken English industry irrelevant over the next ten years. Ideally, people shouldn’t need to keep enrolling in one spoken English course after another without real results.
The future generation, especially Gen Alpha, already has massive exposure to English through the internet, movies, and global content. For them, English is almost natural. They don’t need spoken English institutes in the way earlier generations did. The real focus right now is on Gen Zs, millennials, and even older generations who didn’t grow up with this kind of exposure. These are the people who still struggle despite years of education.
My goal is to equip them with the right tools, mindset, and clarity so they become confident English speakers over time. If this transition happens the right way, spoken English learning in the future will mostly be limited to specific needs like competitive exams such as IELTS or TOEFL. That’s the future I want to build, where English becomes a natural skill rather than a lifelong struggle.
Q. After crossing 1 million followers, what’s next for you and your mission?
Crossing one million followers was never the goal for me. When I started creating content on Instagram, my initial target was just 100K in a year. I was fortunate enough to reach 500K within that time, but even then, numbers were never the real focus. For me, it has always been about impact, not followers or views. I remember how a word like “bass” was widely mispronounced across Kerala, and with a single video, that mispronunciation almost disappeared.
That’s the kind of change I want to create. I want to wipe out common mispronunciations and improve clarity across the country. My mission is not to grow endlessly as a creator, but to solve a problem. The day I genuinely feel that what I do is no longer needed, I would happily step away. In that sense, I believe I’m already halfway there. Right now, the focus is simple: help people speak English clearly and confidently, and keep creating meaningful change.
Q. What advice would you give to students and professionals who struggle with confidence while speaking English, despite having strong knowledge?
This is a problem many people face. They have strong subject knowledge but struggle to express it in English. The first thing I always tell them is this: English is not a measure of your intelligence. English is just a language. If you can express your thoughts clearly in your native language, it means you already have the knowledge and the skills.
Your confidence or self-worth should never be tied to your ability to speak one language. That idea is completely wrong. English should be treated like any other skill you learn, not as something that defines your value as a person. If you want to grow, you have to be willing to go through a phase of discomfort and embarrassment. Every expert was once a beginner. When you start speaking English, it won’t be perfect. You’ll get stuck, you’ll speak broken English, and that’s completely normal. That’s where everyone starts.
Take small steps, be patient with yourself, and keep going. Over time, you’ll improve, just like with any other skill. And one day, you’ll realize that all the effort, struggle, and embarrassment were worth it. So keep moving forward and never even think of quitting.
Bio:
Sreekanth K G, popularly known as voice_of_sreek, is an English pronunciation coach and digital educator on a mission to improve spoken English clarity across India. With over 1.1 million followers, he simplifies complex pronunciation concepts into practical, easy-to-use lessons that help learners communicate confidently without changing their accent. Drawing from his own journey of unlearning and relearning English, Sreek focuses on clarity over perfection and believes pronunciation is the key to being truly understood in a global world. He is also the founder of Broken English, a learning platform built to make English mastery a lifelong, sustainable process rather than a short-term fix.
Interviewed by: Gunjan Joshi
){kind=link}
0 Comments